


Maps that lead to you

by withered



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: And her sister is going to help, Broken Team, Bucky goes Hydra-hunting, But mostly flirting for now, Eventual Romance, Friday's going to keep these nerds alive, M/M, Not Captain America: The Winter Soldier Compliant, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Some Jarvis feels, Somehow, Team is not family, The Winter Soldier requires a mechanic, Tony and Bucky team up, just go with it, tony helps, will probably more slice-of-life like, winteriron
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-02-23 18:21:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13195914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/withered/pseuds/withered
Summary: So it’s established then, Tony’s libido has no moral compass; good to know.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry I haven't replied yet to the comments on the previous story, I'm working on it. My brain's been busy trying to get this out because it kept wanting to be a million things, and though I'm not entirely happy with it because of how open it is, in saying that, I also I kind of like how open it is?

That was definitely a murder-strut, and a murder-glare, and, okay – clearly, he was the physical, human embodiment of the word murder so what did it say about Tony that his first response to realizing _the Winter Soldier is in my fucking house_ is, “I’m not caffeinated enough for this”?

He was going to die.

And a part of him was kind of cool with it.

Beyond a legacy of weapons, an empire of billions profiteering off war, and his sick collection of classic cars and Iron Man suits, Tony didn’t have anything or anyone to live for.

After the Ultron saga, the Avengers had all but split.

Thor had Asgard shit to deal with which was understandable, family drama of Norse gods couldn’t be put on hold for the mental torture of his shield brothers.

But the rest of them had instated the Witch as an Avenger almost immediately after despite the fact that she drove Tony and Bruce to create the mass murdering android in the first place. Her presence forced Bruce away too after one too many nervous breakdowns which meant Tony was left to deal with the aftermath alone before finding himself evicted from the Compound that was still under his name.

Jarvis…Jarvis was long gone, and Vision had bailed on top of that too.

Pepper and he had long been estranged after their break-up so the chances of her even knowing about his untimely demise would be a few weeks, give or take. Sure, they were friends, in a way, but nothing how they used to be before, and finding out Tony had been murdered would probably just mean more work for her.

Happy would be upset, Tony allowed, but he had Pepper at least, he’d get over it.

Rhodes had chosen the US military over the scrawny fourteen-year-old he’d picked up at MIT long ago, and Tony couldn’t blame him for that either. Maybe he’d be sad about it, but also, _I liked you better before the Avengers._

Tony took a big gulp of his black-as-tar nectar of the gods. _I did too_.

“I require maintenance.”

He almost spit his coffee back out.

Oh, right, the Winter Solider is still in his kitchen.

Stepping out of the shadowed corner like a house spider that was allergic to the moon shining through the wall made entirely of glass, and _okay, sure_ , Tony mentally cleared his throat. _Toy Soldier is definitely your type; floppy dark hair, built like an oak, a full pink mouth and eyes sorrowful and deep and the color of the artic_ , that all aside, this man also shaped a century with a kill-count that was closer to triple digits.

He murdered people. He toppled cities. And _hot damn; I wouldn’t mind getting murdered by you_ , _you could probably squeeze my head between your thighs and I’d thank you_.

Fuck.

So it’s established then, my libido has no moral compass; good to know.

“Er – what do you…?” Tony’s eyes fell on the legendary metal arm with the star branded on the bicep, and openly, he gaped. “What the hell did you do? That poor marvel in engineering history, baby no! Get your ass over here, goddamn it, no respect for feats of forties mechanics!”

And that’s how he found himself in his newly refurbished lab that made up more than half of his actual-honest-to-god white-picket-fence house with the Winter Solider, Fist of Hydra following after him like a wounded puppy. He paused, half-way to putting his code to access the space that had always been his sanctuary, when a thought occurred to him, “Wait, why me? Don’t you have like a super-secret organization that’s supposed to do this for you?”

“I quit,” was the comically simple reply he received.

Tony was thinking of a resignation letter and pink slips, but rightfully, the image was replaced with a whole lot of murder. _Coolcoolcool._

Strangely enough, he didn’t shake once after ushering the other man towards a wheelie-chair by his work bench.

Vaguely, he heard the bots beep curiously from their charging stations, but he waved them off.

Right, _they’d_ miss him. Maybe.

If the files he stole off SHIELD’s computers were anything to go by, his reading material and the myth that plagued the Winter Soldier insisted that he didn’t leave witnesses. Maybe that included sentient robots? _God, where were you during Ultron? Talk about killing two birds with one stone._

Opening the metal arm, Tony grimaced at the mess of half-pulled wires, broken gears and messed up hydraulics. “Damn it, did you put this thing through a meat grinder or something?”

“I got run over by a train,” he nonchalantly replied.

“Oh my god.”

After a quick assessment, Tony decreed, “This’ll take at least six hours; you want something to eat or something?”

His lip tugged at the corners. He wanted to say no, Tony figured, he was going to say no, but then his own stomach grumbled and – _oh damn, won’t make it the six hours if I’m dying of hunger. When last did I eat anyway?_ Tony was going to ask Jarvis but yeah – no Jarvis.

He cleared his throat. “Well _I’m_ starving,” he decided instead, “I’ll order food; you sit here looking pretty until I get back.”

Surprisingly, Iron Fist let him go; only watching him with quiet eyes.

After putting a rush order on some Thai food, he returned to the lab to find DUM-E as per usual, not heeding his earlier warning. His oldest bot was up close and personal with Hydra's number one assassin, and for his trouble, said assassin _let him_?

“Is this…a robot?”

“Yeah, he’s a rudimentary model, built him in college,” Tony explained, shooting the bot a _look_.

With a series of clicks, DUM-E let out what was close to a whine, and he rolled his eyes. “Fine, but don’t touch his arm, it’s already fucked up, we don’t need malware on top of that.”

After exchanging a look with DUM-E’s camera at the juncture of his claw and then catching Tony’s eye, Blue Steel asked shortly, “Morose code?”

“Like I said rudimentary.”

While Tony worked on separating the points of connection between his shoulder and the actual metal of the arm and thinking _damn that must hurt like a bitch_ , Tasty-Freeze seemed to amuse himself with DUM-E before Butterfingers came along, tentatively carrying DUM-E’s fire-extinguisher.

“No,” Tony said in response, not looking away from what he was doing, but aware that his other bot dejectedly lowered his chosen weapon.

By the time the points of connection were severed and the Thai food was set around them in Styrofoam containers, the tightness around Frosty’s eyes had lessened and though Tony wouldn’t say he looked more relaxed, he definitely looked less murder-y now.

“So,” he stretched out, “What exactly are you doing now that you aren’t with the band anymore?”

If Chilly the Abominable Snow Soldier was confused by the question, it only showed for literally a fraction of a second before his brows furrowed and – yep, that was the murder-stare again. _Great, did I just remind him that he could murder me because that’s just fucking_ – “I will destroy Hydra.”

Oh. That’s…

”Awesome, need help?”

He stilled, and the movement of his brow to his hairline was practically glacial. “You’d…help?”

Tony shrugged. “Got nothing better to do.” Not a _complete_ lie. He still had R &D for SI and portfolios piling up, not to mention – bafflingly – a goddamn _wish list_ from the same people that had kicked him out of his own Compound.

Still, with no desire to go out and be hounded on, and even less desire to sleep, Tony had far too many hours to fill and not enough things to entertain him.

 “Plus,” Tony added, “I’ve got zero self-preservation skills and nothing to live for. So, what do you say, Blue Steel, wanna go steady with me?”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Without Jarvis, no one is taking care of Tony. The Universe sends the Winter Soldier his way.

 

Tony considered calling Steve.

According to the Winter Soldier’s file which was encrypted five hundred different ways to Sunday, figuring it out had been a taste of thrill and horror in equal measures, the identity behind the myth was a body-snatched James Buchanan Barnes, and wasn't that just the most bittersweet thing?

Good ole Bucky from the Captain America stories and Tony figured, _yeah, we’re not talking, but he deserves to know his friend is alive and kind of awesome now that I did some adjustments to the metal Hydra arm._

Tony considered calling Steve.

So he did.

“Tony, I’m busy.”

“But it’s important -”

“Tony, come on, where’s my new arrows; I’m going to be completely useless out here if something happens,” Clint said from somewhere beyond the receiver.

“They’ll be done,” he said with some impatience, “If they aren’t ready by then you can call me for back-up -”

“Please, we all know what happens when you help.”

And then, despite Steve’s reprimand that _that wasn’t necessary, Clint,_ the line went dead anyway.

Fine, no one can say Tony didn’t try.

/

He had just finished in the shower and had haphazardly wiped the steamed up mirror with his hand to reveal his blurry reflection; along with the fact that he wasn’t alone.

Clutching his heart as it _st-st-stuttered_ in his chest, Tony exhaled an agitated, “Fuck, what the hell is wrong with you!”

To which the Soviet Star almost looked like he smirked and replied almost plaintively, “Would you like a list in chronological order or by severity?”

“You’re an ass. I have a heart condition, damn it.” With a huff, Tony ran his hand over his chest with one hand while he readjusted his towel with the other _and Jesus Christ, I’m in the bathroom half-naked with a serial killer_. “What? Did you bust your arm again already?”

He stilled and then tilted his head almost thoughtfully. “You…you said you would help.”

“Oh,” he murmured, brows furrowed in thought before, “Oh! Yeah, I just figured you weren’t taking me up on it. But if that’s the case, give me like two minutes to put clothes on.”

“I was under the impression that you liked walking around naked,” and it was said with all the casualness of telling Tony what time it was that it took a record five second for it to process, and then he was looking up at him slowly.

“Have you been stalking me?”

“Your perimeter isn’t safe,” Blue Steel said by way of explanation, and sure, perimeter security was important but also –“I’m Iron Man, the neighborhood cat burglar wouldn’t dare.” Organized terrorist groups? Strong maybe, “Besides, I already told you, no self-perseveration skills and nothing to live for.”

“If you’re going to help me, you need to be alive.”

“Yeah, but that…” Tony scowled, and as if Frosty didn’t already know he had Tony in his clever little snare, he added, “Who’ll build me a new arm if you’re dead?”

“Who said I’m building you a new arm?” he retorted, but that knowing look the overgrown munchkin threw him was plain as day and _yeah, he definitely saw the doodles I did in the lab, wait a minute!_ “How the hell are you getting into my house?”

“Your perimeter -”

“Isn’t safe, alright, fine,” he huffed. “Well if that’s the case, I need to make sure everything’s locked down before we start this. Wouldn’t want any pesky SHIELD spiders in this web we’re weaving.”

With a nod of agreement, Tony was treated to an ass so perky he could bounce quarters against it as the Winter Soldier turned on his heel and _fucking murder strutted_ out of his bathroom like he did it every day.

Exhaling, he tilted his head to look up at the ceiling in askance. “What the hell has become of my life?” And he was reminded, yet again, that there was no more Jarvis.

He sighed.

Well, that had to be rectified; Jarvis wouldn’t want him to do this kind of stuff on his own, and-and he’d like the company again; Friday was only fully operational at SI HQ, and she still managed the households both at the Compound and Tony’s new residence albeit at a limited capacity.

No one would ever replace J, but Friday was a good girl.

Throwing an old AC/DC shirt on, Tony paused, sniffed the air and called out carefully, “Are you…cooking?”

“You haven’t eaten since yesterday,” was the same casual response.

Tony frowned. “How the hell did you -” Shaking his head, he resolved not to ask. It was probably for the best.

Besides, he had more important things to do – like dismantling Hydra.

Of course, step one just happened to be securing their location.

Freight Train decided that was top priority because _I can’t be in two places at once_ , even though Tony retorted _I’m Iron Man remember?_ To which his intruder replied, _And outside of the suit, you’re soft and squishy_ and then Tony had been too distracted by the fact that the most murderous individual on the planet with a kill-count to the triple digits said the word _squishy_.

Still, it gave Tony the perfect opportunity to reintegrate Friday, and he and Super Soldier were both treated to the lovely burst of cosmos that expanded and grew in the server room as Friday was welcomed back at full capacity.

“Boss!” she greeted happily, the familiar Irish lilt bringing a smile to his face.

“Baby-girl,” he returned, flashing his most charming smile. “I need you.”

“Anything Boss,” she chirped again, sweet and eager before she paused and then added, “Hello Sergeant Barnes!”

Beside him, the other man stilled.

“You know each other?” That was…curious.

“The sergeant successfully infiltrated SI two weeks ago looking for you,” his AI informed, still cheerful, “I asked him how he did that because no one had ever been able to before, and then I asked to make sure he wasn’t going to hurt you.”

“Did you…tell him where to find me?” Tony asked slowly because _shit, please don’t tell me I screwed up Fri too._

“No, Boss, however, Agent Barton did.”

“What.”

“I was on mute,” she said quietly, the lights within the server room low and somber to match. “They were watching television, and they were talking about how you’ve disappeared since Ultron…”

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. Great. Just great.

“Agent Romanoff altered my coding with SHIELD protocols so I was overridden for security so I couldn’t cover for it once I realized there was a breech…I’m sorry, Boss.”

Tony could see _why_ they would do it. After Ultron, they had to have some second thoughts about the power of AIs, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. That didn’t mean Friday deserved to be violated as a result of Tony’s mistake.

“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry.”

“I understand, Boss, I do,” she replied, far too understanding and good, “I just wish I could prove myself to you.”

“No, no – don’t you ever say that to me again,” he protested. “You don’t need to do a damn thing baby-girl, and I’m sorry I’ve made you feel like you do.”  Having to prove his worth to Howard, trying to be _worthy_ of his attention and love had only destroyed whatever self-esteem Tony genuinely owned, the last thing he ever wanted to do was subject it to someone else.

“But Boss I…I want to grow; you created me to help you and I feel like ever since Big Brother disappeared…”

God, when did his throat get so tight?

Friday was still so young, how had he messed up this much?

“It’s a good thing you’re gonna  get your chance then, Miss Friday.” Whoa, that was like the longest sentence to come out of the Abominable Snowflake’s mouth!

The lights in the server room flickered excitedly before, “You mean it, Boss?”

Shaking himself from the stupor, Tony repeated the sentiment, “I’m giving you the chance you deserve, sweetheart.”

Then, most definitely there was a trill sort of sound, pleased and elated, accompanied by the rapid-fire blink of the lights all around them that Tony’s heart actually clenched.

While he wasn’t looking, his little girl had grown up.

 “I won’t let you down, Boss,” she insisted determinedly, and he shook his head. “You never could, Fri. What do you think about upgrading our operations? I’m thinking full fort, fully loaded arsenal and a moat before we get to the really good stuff, what do you say?”

“Processing as we speak, recommended security levels?”

“Same as the Compound.” He paused, eying the Winter Soldier beside him. “Actually, make it a Code Alpha Black Out. I don’t want Nicky-Nick getting any ideas that I’m doing anything other than having a time-out.”

While they waited for Friday’s confirmation of the protocols, Tony pouted. “I can’t believe you’d cop a feel like that, where’s the respect?”

“I was looking for you.”

“Ever heard of the phone book?” Again, that deadpan stare, making Tony huff. “You’re no fun, old man.”

“Security in the process of integration,” Friday interjected. “Would you like to include security access for James Rhodes, Virginia Potts and Happy Hogan, Boss?”

Casting a glance at Frosty beside him, Tony decided, “Blackout means no one, Fri.” And then it occurred to him, perhaps too late, that his cyber-child would take the correction the wrong way. After all, they hadn’t spent as much time together as they should have, and Tony himself was terrible when it came to receiving criticism. However, the growth of his baby-girl came to the fore once more as she chirped, still cheerful as ever, “Of course, Boss! So only you and Sergeant Barnes then?”

“Perfect,” he clapped. “And while you’re at it, Fri, be a darling and get his access card processed. Make sure you get the derpest expression for his ID photo. I’m talking mid-sneeze level, Fri, I’m counting on you.”

The Snowflake snorted, and Tony found himself grinning before adding slyly, “So, you’ve been spilling your secrets to my girl Friday, huh?”

“She’s the only one besides you I’ve spoken to.”

“I’m flattered, and also a little bit confused,” he admitted, and at the sight of the Soldier looking like he wanted to crawl into a hole at just a hint of A Possibly Important Conversation That Might Include Vulnerability, Tony added, “But mainly, I’m hungry. Whatcha make me for breakfast?”

“It’s four in the afternoon,” he informed gruffly.

“My operating hours are between seven in the evening and two-thirty in the afternoon the next day. No downtime. I don’t need to operate on the time of mere mortals.”

“Which is probably why ninety-percent of your bloodstream is coffee,” he snorted. “Y’know, when you’re not looking, I’m gonna give you decaf.”

Tony gasped. “Take that back you heathen!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this was a surprise. God knows how this is going to go, but tentatively, this story is going to be continued.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony emotes a little. 
> 
> The Soldier is unimpressed by what that means.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to update. Whoops.

Tony wondered what it said about him that upon realizing he put a far larger target on his back by associating with the runaway Hydra assassin, after the Ultron shit he’d unleashed less than six months earlier, he’d cracked his knuckles and got to brainstorming another AI.

(He ignored that little voice in his head that declared he learn nothing, and that was why he kept getting burned – emotionally and otherwise.)

An AI whose sole mission was fighting off Hydra-level attacks, SHIELD probes and multiple governments and terrorist organisations digging around his junk, all while convincing the different agencies of the world that they were getting something for their trouble, even if it was harmless, empty platitudes of their progress into monitoring and mimicking Tony’s tech.

Friday had been rearing to go on that front, but Tony didn’t like the thought of his little girl getting her digital hands dirty like that. Not when she already had so much on her plate, keeping an eye on SI, it’s subsidiaries and the Avengers as it was:

“But Boss, I can do it, I can,” she insisted.

“Sweetheart, I’m not questioning your capabilities,” he soothed, “but what we’re doing is bigger than me and mine, Hydra – Hydra’s bad shit.”

He held strong against her practically deflating on him as Friday all but whispered, “But I want to protect you.”

“You are, you’ve done such a good job keeping everyone’s eyes off of us, and keeping me safe so far, but Soldier Boy needs someone to protect him too.”

Winter Wonderland frowned. “I don’t need -”

Tony held up a finger. “Nu-uh, I’m not sending you into Hydra territory without some sort of back-up. You do realize how high priority you are for recapture don’t you?”

“I can handle it,” he grunted.

He rolled his eyes. “That was never in question. But I’m not taking that risk.”

“But Boss, if you’re with Sergeant Barnes, I can protect you both!” And from the look on Soviet-Arm-Day, he seemed to be of the same mind as Friday.

Their one and only collaboration after the Winter Soldier’s arm maintenance that first evening had gone off without a hitch thanks to Tony’s combination of Q and the guy-in-the-chair shtick. It was all very James Bond-like, even if Tony was all the charm to Barnes’ super-secret-agent routine.

(And hey, Tony always knew he was only one-half of a successful person; leave the superheroing to people who signed up for it.)

Still, as successful as it was, Tony’s decision had been made.

“I can’t be found helping Barnes on his crusade against Hydra. I’m still entangling SHIELD as it is.” And the whole thing was a fucking mess, Tony was so tempted to tell Peggy what Fury had done to her beloved organization, but even he couldn’t totally blame the pirate.  

As much as Tony wanted to join in himself, as Blue Steel was probably expecting when he offered his assistance, there were too many variables he didn’t want to mess with, too many lives he wouldn’t offer in sacrifice in the name of Hydra’s destruction.

Sure, Tony had the Iron Man suits, Friday and the Winter Soldier in his corner, but that wouldn’t guarantee the protection and safety of everyone associated with Stark Industries, or Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, and god, even Aunt Peggy, Harley and his family, for that matter. Anyone associated with him could be a target, in lieu of Tony himself, and Tony wasn’t going to bet his life on theirs.

He was the man in the can, and even if he’d take that nuke into a wormhole again to keep everyone safe, that didn’t mean the bad guys weren’t going to turn around – close the wormhole behind him – and still kill everyone anyway.

Tony huffed a breath. “I know there are so many ways that it’s a bad idea for another AI considering what happened with Ultron, but I can’t – I can’t do everything on my own, and far be it for me to expect you to do everything on your own too, Fri.”

Still, Friday pleaded, and his heart broke a little at how much his little girl wanted to prove herself – felt that she had to.

God, he knew he’d be a shit parent.

 “Jarvis had less to deal with,” Tony admitted, proud that his voice didn’t shake at the thought of his first-born. “Granted, I was enough on my own, but…Jarvis had help, what with Pepper, Rhodey and Happy always on my ass about everything, but you-you’re doing it on your own, darling, and it’s my fault.”

“Boss…”

It was his turn to plead, “Let me help you, help me, Fri. Or at least, help Frosty the Snowflake over here, because I can’t do it all.” Wow – was this what being an adult was like? Admitting when it was too much? Asking for help? Reaching out? Who needs therapy? (Him, definitely.) “I need her in the same way that I need you.”

“Her?” Barnes asked this time, brow furrowed.

“Yes, ‘her’, you ragamuffin, you’re clearly in need of a woman’s touch, and I have just the person in mind to do it,” Tony declared with a wink, before returning his attention to his youngest. “What do you say, baby-girl?”

Reluctantly thoughtful, Friday asked, “So…she’s technically Sergeant Barnes’?”

Technically not wrong. Barnes’ presence in his life was already straining against Tony’s security measures as it was, what with his sneaking around Tony’s property. And she’d technically be with Barnes’ more often, acting as his personal guy-in-the-chair, and relaying any important information to Tony while protecting them both from any digital attacks while Barnes went Hydra-hunting. “If you put it like that, yes.”

“I…I suppose…but where would we integrate her? Sergeant Barnes doesn’t have a suit.”

“And I won’t be having one,” he interjected when Tony opened his mouth and shot that plan to hell.

“Oh, come on,” the engineer whined. “High-grade Kevlar over titanium alloy, are you serious?”

Barnes glared at him, blue eyes practically melting into gun-metal grey as his lips curled in a snarl. “I want them to know that the monster they made came for them.”

Tony wondered what it said about his self-preservation that his immediate response to the Murder-stare had been to roll his eyes and grumble, “Drama queen.”  He waved off the assassin's harsher glare right after. “Fine, but that Hydra arm’s gotta go. Feat of Forties mechanics or not, no murder sprees are going to be committed with anything other than Stark tech, I’ve got a reputation to uphold.”

“You haven’t been the Merchant of Death since 2008,” Frosty declared, rolling his eyes.

“Tell that to the people of Slovenia,” Tony retorted. “Point is, there’s a world that needs saving, evil organizations that need burning and ledgers covered in blood that I need to repent for, and I’m not putting either of you in a position to do less than what you aspire because I can’t keep up, ergo – new AI.” Since Friday was as omnipotent as it could get, he leveled his gaze to Barnes, arms crossed, and chin lifted in challenge.

It only took a moment of silence before the other man relented. “Fine, but so help me god, she better be as efficient as you and Ms Friday.”

Tony snorted. “Trust me, you should be worried about whether _you’re_ efficient enough for her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> James: I thought we were gonna be Batman and Alfred together  
> Tony: First of all, if anyone's Batman, it's me. Second of all, there can only be one Batman, and he's being played by Ben Affleck and getting rejected by Wonder Woman. We can both do so much better.


End file.
